GYM GIRLS LOCKER ROOM - Overcoming Gym Anxiety, THIS Is Killing Your Gains & Nutrition Mistakes

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

S3 EP3 – Overcoming Gym Anxiety, THIS Is Killing Your Gains & Nutrition Mistakes with Lily Lifts (@lilylifts)If the gym feels intimidating, overwhelming, or like everyone’s watching — you’re not alone. In this episode, we’re joined by Lily Lifts, who shares how she transformed her own gym anxiety into a powerful, supportive fitness community for women.Lily opens up about navigating male-dominated gym spaces, learning to ask for help, and how confidence in the gym is built through experience, connection, and support. We also dive into how her nighttime running community, The Night Club, creates a safe space for women to move, connect, and feel confident — especially after dark.In this episode, we cover:* Overcoming gym anxiety and intimidation* Why women-specific spaces in fitness are so important* How nutrition supports strength, muscle growth, and confidence* The power of asking for help in the gym* Building community to combat isolation in fitness* Why rest, recovery, and balance matter just as much as training* How social media can be a positive tool for sharing real fitness journeysThis conversation is a reminder that fitness isn’t about perfection — it’s about showing up, finding your people, and building confidence over time.🎧 New episodes every Tuesday
⭐ Follow the podcast & leave a 5-star rating — it helps us grow the community!📺 Don't forget that you can watch us on YouTube @GymGirlsLockerRoomPodcast !*The Nightclub is NOW on a global tour! Go to Lily’s instagram for more details @lilylifts*

Hi guys and welcome back to the Jim Girls Locker and podcast hosted by me, Sydney Cassidy. Today I've got a good episode and one that I think if you're somebody that is stressed about a time, gym, or you feel nervous or you feel anxious, then this is going to be an amazing one for you. Before we get into the episode, let's talk Sid's session, what I am doing with my training today. Guys, I did a high rocks over the weekend and it was hell and horror. It was extremely, extremely humbling for me. I did it with my friend Georgie who's a, I would argue, high rocks pro. The woman is an absolute machine and I was, yeah, I was in for a rough ride.

I've had a chest infection for about two weeks. So it was intense, but I did really enjoy it kind of upon reflection. Whilst I was going through it, hell no. I actually had people messaging me and they were like, wow, we saw you were cheering you on, which thank you so much. I really do genuinely appreciate it. But people were saying to me, you looked like you were so deep in focus. And I was like, no, no, no.

I was in so much pain. I could only look down, you know, like a meter in front of me and the whole time. And Georgie kept saying, look up, smile. I was like, I can't. I'm in so much pain. So today I'm doing my first run back. I've had like a decent time off. I've given myself the weekend.

It's actually Thursday. So I've almost given myself a week off. But yeah, I've found that actually that were. best for me so that's what I'm going to do so yeah I am going for a nice little run with my friend Alex and we're going along the canal the weather has turned a lot colder so need to wrap up but yeah I'm just going to see how I feel give my legs a little I was going to say give my legs a spin but you know what I mean give him a little run but yeah I think that's pretty much it let's get into the episode today we have someone very exciting who I've actually known for

a really long time which we'll discuss an episode because I actually don't even know if she remembers as this. If the gym scares you or you've ever felt like everyone is watching you when you walk in, this episode is for you. Today I'm talking to Lily Lifts, who went from feeling anxious and intimidated in the gym to building a community that makes women feel safe, confident and supported. She's the creator behind the nightclub, a nighttime run club for safe running, and her content has exploded, pulling in an insane engagement because it's real, relatable, and exactly what women need right now. Her journey proves you can start, even when you're you're terrified so let's get into it welcome lily lips how are you doing hello how are you

i'm good how are you yeah i'm really really good thank you so much for having me um it's so exciting to be here yeah very excited um we always start the episode by asking people um what is your weekly split so what are you kind of what does lily's exercise schedule kind of look like at the moment I actually recently changed it. I normally do cut and bulking, basically, and I did a really long cut in the summer. And when I was doing that, I was working out five times a week,

doing about 10 million cardio sessions a week. And I just got to the point where, like, I realise it's too much, and I'm just trying too hard, and I think I felt really fatigued. So I've actually, literally in the last couple of weeks, stripped it back. and now I only do four days of actually like training in the gym like strength training.

And I do two or three cardio sessions a week a little bit more low level. Because I think I've just realised that I really want to prioritise rest and give myself a bit of a break. But it also allows me to work harder in the gym. It does, it does actually. I remember when I first started, I think it's quite a common thing when you start. You hear like these certain buzzwords when you start the gym. And like one of the two of them were cutting and bulking and I was the same like I was like Must be always cutting and bulking and like you know working my gym schedule around that but actually I think there's so much yeah like you're saying like power and actually being like you know what rest is really important and really productive for like muscle growth and also like energy levels and recovery so yeah so are your sessions to will you double up sometimes or are you literally training on like most how well

how does it work with the different sessions? Basically, what I was doing before is I was doing two upper body days, so push-pull, and then I was doing three lower, so quads and calves, and then I'd have two glute days, because I think there's so much pressure online to have a big bum, you know? Oh, girl, yep. Yeah, yeah, and I just was so fixated on this mission just to have the biggest bum in the entire world, that I think that I was pushing myself too harder, and I probably wasn't actually growing as much muscle.

So the difference now is that I do push, pull, quads and calves, and then glutes and hamstrings. And I think what's happened is that it's allowed me to actually push harder in my sessions. Whereas before, I'd think, oh, well, I've got another glute session this week, so maybe I won't push as hard. And even within the last two weeks, I've noticed such a big change. and even mentally like I feel so much more excited to go into the gym because I've got four sessions and I can push really hard

and it feels so much better. Yeah, I think that's quite a common misconception where people feel like they have to be doing like the absolute most to achieve like really, really good goals. What about running? Because I know you do enjoy running. Are you more of like a kind of casual runner? Like do you kind of just do it more socially, slot it in here and there?

You know what? I started running like. September now and I've always hated cardio. I've never been a cardio queen. I always used to struggle at like sports day and things like that at school. And then I picked up running just for health reasons. So I realized I've been going to the gym for five years and I couldn't run for a minute, which is not ideal. And so I've always just kept it really casual. I think that it's also a lot of pressure to run really far or really speedy distances. So I keep it really casual and I was running two times a week and a little bit longer distance it's like reaching to 7k and really pushing

myself and particularly when I did my cart I probably pushed it a little bit too far and became really competitive about it and then fell out of love so now I've also stripped that back and I do a really casual three or five care a week and I've also started sprinting literally and it's so good and I feel so like powerful is amazing. What are you doing that on a track or? I do upper hill. I find a random hill in the countryside, yes. And I go, I sprint for 10 to 15 seconds and then have like a minute to two minute rest.

And I think that I've now started to find the joy in running again. And again, not having too much pressure to run really fast or like run really, long distances like a lot of people are online and just getting the fun back in it. Yeah. Well, if you want those big glutes like sprinting, I always hear people talk about how incredible sprinting is for building glutes. Like you see sprinters and you're like, damn, okay. I need to start doing that. That was like my muse. Yeah, literally. So take us back. Like what was your like earliest experiences with exercise and with going to the gym more specifically? How did you start? So So I started just before lockdown and I was so scared of the gym.

Absolutely terrified, so terrified that I didn't start using machines for a year into going to the gym. And then the first time I did, I saw somebody do some tricep, pull down. And I was like, right, this is it, I'm going to do it. And I got it wrong immediately. And I was really terrified and didn't want to do it again. But I think I always felt like I didn't really know what I was doing. And I was just too scared to try new things, which is kind of what I base my whole content around. Because I think a lot of people feel like that.

And we all know that a lot of gyms are really male-dominated. And even though those people are really nice, when you're a beginner going into it and you're a woman, can feel really intimidating. And then my confidence kind of just grew from there. and I started to enjoy it. And the more that I went, I found that my confidence grew and I could try new things

and interact with more people. What was like the turning point when you started to actually see your confidence start to build in the gym? I think that it's when I got stronger. And obviously we had lockdown, so I was able to a lot of body weight exercise and I felt more confident in doing things

like press ups and pull-ups and things like that. Then when I came back to the gym, the stronger that I got, I felt like so much better at being there because I felt more confident in myself. And I think there's that process, there's that sort of ugly stage when you first start going to the gym and you're trying out new things and it feels me a little bit awkward. And then the more you try, the better you get.

And then your confidence grows along with that. I always found that this really funny thing where it's like, for me, there was this moment where it kind of clicked and I realized like oh huh most of the people at the gym have no idea what's going on as well and it's like this thing where you start where you you are like like you say you're so intimidated and so scared and you feel like you know as you walk through those doors I remember it so vividly being like that girl has no idea what she's doing you know as if everyone's looking at you saying like she's a beginner but actually when you do gain more experience there you realize that most people there

are equally as sort of in their head. And everybody's so busy, what I like to tell a lot of people is everybody's so busy focusing on themselves that they're, I can bet you they are not kind of thinking about what you're doing or what you're up to. You know, for someone listening right now and they're like, yeah, yeah, all well and good, but like how do I actually do this? How do I push through that kind of like feeling of like anxiety and that feeling of, you know, just being really scared in that environment?

how do you keep showing up and get through that ugly stage you were talking about? Yeah, I think it's exactly what you said, and it's learning to understand that people in there also don't really know what they're doing, and people make mistakes, and it took me a really long time to understand that people are so in their own worlds, and they're so focused about how they look and how they're presenting themselves and what they're doing, that they're really not focused on you. And even now, occasionally I get it where I'm trying new.

exercise and I'm so embarrassed and I'm like I have no idea what I'm doing and I've been going to the gym for five years and I everyone's going to think oh she's she looks confident why she's getting it wrong type of thing they already don't care and I would say that understanding that is a really big part of gaining your confidence in the gym I also think that once what I did was I would basically start to you know ask for help or interact with people in the gym a little bit more and the more you go obviously the more you're like oh hi how are you um and people are really nice and that will grow your confidence to show that it's not as scary as you think i always i don't i'm

i'm sure you'll agree but um i i always found it really surprising when i kind of realized that like the most you know stereotypically like intimidating like gym bros or like the guys with like loads of muscles that are grunting are often like the friendly most kind of enthusiastic gym goers that you could absolutely go up to. And I know a lot of your content kind of focuses around those sorts of like, I guess, archetypes of people. Can you speak a little bit about that? Because you are like extremely confident with it.

But it's something that certainly resonates with me. And I'm sure people that are a lot more confident will understand why you kind of talk to those sorts of people. Yeah, I think when I, again, first. started going to the gym, they were the people that I was most intimidated by. And particularly when you're trying something new, the last thing you want to be doing is next to somebody that's jacked and that looks really confident. Obviously, been going to the gym for, like, I don't know, 30 years.

And they always look really intimidating. And for an example, the first time I went to this gym called Muscle Works in London, it's really maldominated, it's really grungy, it's really scary. It's very, like, old-school bodybuilding gym with, like, metal plates. and everybody is like bodybuilders and they're humongous and they're all like with the hoodies off and it's really scary and when I first went in there I was like oh my god what am I doing and I was and this wasn't even that long ago maybe a year ago probably and I just said okay I'll just get through it it'll be fine like I'll just keep to myself whatever and I sat down

did bench press and immediately someone came over and said if you need a if you need a if need a hand, just let me know, like, if you want a spot. And I was like, oh, maybe they're actually not too bad. And from then onwards within that same gym session, I made friends with maybe four men that were like so jacked and so big and scary, but they're also so nice. And that is why I show my content so much, because I think as women, we also will go into a gym and feel really intimidated and you feel like you don't want to work out or you just want to pop in and out. because it feels really scary, but those people are always the nicest.

I know actually when I saw you last, I was even asking you about like where you train because I've been someone that has experienced and in the early days of me content creating, I did very much like similar content because I happened to be around, I happened to be training at a gym where there was the most friendliest like gym bros and they taught me everything I know pretty much

about exercising and lifting weights and that sort of thing. but I was asking you when I saw you last because I have been training at a gym where or I've been trying lots of gyms, sorry, since moving cities where I just haven't had that experience and I was really surprised that you said you actually actively avoid commercial gyms which I think is something that a lot of people wouldn't, I don't know, it wasn't something that I even realised is that you actually go specifically to these more kind of like independent old school gyms. Yeah, could you talk a little bit more about gym environments and the different kind of gyms in your experience?

Yeah, of course. It's something that I probably picked up on maybe a year or a year ago. So what happened was I lived outside of London and then I moved to London and I was forced to try new gyms. And lucky enough, I had a car so I could kind of try out different places. But before that, I was in more of a commercial gym. I moved to London, tried out a peer gym. And peer gyms, that gym was actually a really nice gym, not to say that commercial gyms aren't, they are really good gyms.

But I think I felt that there wasn't a huge atmosphere there. And what I found is obvious because people would go in there, there's just commuters and then they'd want to do their workout and leave. So everyone's kind of in a rush. And then I tried a few different bodybuilding gyms, although it was really scary. Everybody was in there for like two hours. It's like 6pm when a Monday evening and people are in there till 8, 9pm

just training, chatting and there's this buzz that you don't always get in a commercial gym from my experience and people are friends like everyone just knows each other you go in they're like oh yes Lily I literally went to muscle works once

the next time I went they're like yes Lily like how are you doing um and it felt really nice to be a part of that community and i think it's just because everybody really knows what what they're doing there's this culture there that you can really get involved in and people really look out for each other so i yes would way prefer now to go to a bodybuilding gym whereas before when i started going to the gym i'd always go for commercial gyms because I was too terrified to go to the like really scary grunchy gyms but I love them now because people are always willing to help and you just feel part of a nice little family well I think the difference as well is that with those sorts of gyms anything outside of kind

of a commercial gym people have chosen to go there like people have kind of made that decision perhaps they're a little bit more premium or they seem a little bit more intimidating but actually that's the kind of thing that like someone's chosen to be the that sounds really similar to like cross the crossfit gyms I go to like that's been kind of like a whole new experience for me even myself like you know that going to a gym where like you do really feel that sense of community and people aren't really in a rush like people come to the gym early and then they stay late and then like they have socials and all those sorts of things and I think if you are someone that you know even when I see your content I think a lot of people uh will agree with me that we kind

of pine for that we pine for that feeling and it's like yeah maybe you're just just looking in the wrong places. So yeah, I found that really interesting. It was kind of a penny drop moment. I was like, damn. What are some, like, mistakes that you made early on? Obviously, we've identified that one of them is kind of gym location and gym environment. But what are some other mistakes that you wish you could tell your younger self?

So many things. And, you know, I'm still learning all the time. Even with, for example, like I said earlier, my split. And I've just had this, like, eureka moment where I think, why am I working out so much? I think a lot when I look back at my younger self is the first thing is that in terms of just training and trying new exercises. Because I was terrified of trying new things, I'd really rush exercises and then whack up the weight. And I would then injure myself or, you know, and I think it's taking the time to learn and not being scared to lift little weights, you know. And we all still sometimes do like 2KG lateral raises because it's hard and you need to get the form right.

And I think it's prioritising the movement, how it feels and getting that right before thinking, you know, now I need to be doing, you know, 220 KG dumbbells because everybody else is doing it. Because when you go into the gym, you really feel like you should be lifting as heavy weights as everybody else because you're too scared to get the little weights. it's really important to get that form right because I mean now I'm paying for it you know my RDLs I'm having to always go back to basics and lift smaller weights to get it because I didn't get it to start with and I think the other thing is probably in terms of nutrition I really didn't know what I was doing and I think online there's so much misinformation and people have made it really confusing and there's so many different diets and a lot of girls and particularly for me when I first started to train, I really wanted to be really small and slim

and you know you spend your whole younger life trying to be slim and small and petite because that's what's, you know, pushed online. But then when I started going to the gym, I really wasn't fuelling myself. I really didn't understand how much food is really important to grow your muscles. So I'd never eat protein. I'd never eat carbs. Like it's just terrifying. And now I've really understood to fuel my body, eat more, so I can lift heavier, you're stronger, and it's just understanding that you shouldn't be scared to bump up your calories, you need to eat more protein. Because, for example, when I first started going to the gym, within that year of training, my body didn't change at all because I wasn't fueling myself with enough protein, I wasn't eating

enough carbs to push myself in the gym. So I kind of looked the same from when I first started to a year later. In terms of like all of that learning, what has kind of been the best source of kind of education for you in terms of lifting and in terms of nutrition and all those sorts of things? I think that there's so much, there's so much information now. You know, we've got AI, we've got TikTok, there's just so much going on. At the start, I'd use YouTube videos to help. but it's actually I've learnt so much from the people around me

even talking to people in the gym or for example when I meet other athletes like you and listen to their programs and how they work out I've learned so much more I think it's really important to if you make gym friends or you know you ask someone for a spot in the gym and you get to know them and you can ask about you know how they train and what they do because you learn so much more even for example I met somebody in the gym and was talking to them about carbohydrates and things. And I had no idea. This was literally like June, right?

I had no idea how many carbohydrates you should be consuming. And I was always trying to restrict, restrict, restrict, because I didn't really understand what they're good for. Even when it comes to running and lifting both, you need so many more carbs. And then I bumped my carbs up maybe by like 50, 60 grams. And I noticed such a difference in my lifting. and even the way that I looked like my muscles felt fuller like I looked healthier and so I really think that the more you speak the more you interact with people and ask about what they do that's just gold yeah the the carbs thing is wild I think that's actually being a fairly recent realisation for me as well which is kind of scary considering I've literally been like working in fitness for like you know nearly four years now but I remember kind of being the same like oh oh right I'm literally being like you know okay, okay. So it's not this thing that we should demonise. It's like actually really, really important to even just like feeling good and not having brain fog. And I think like growing up, I had, um, a lot of people around me doing like keto diet. So I just naturally thought that's what I needed to do. And it's like no, no, no. Especially like we've been having some really interesting conversations this season. Um, with like professionals that have been talking about like the actual harm.

it can do physiologically to you when you do not eat correctly and you're doing lots of training or just even like a minimal amount of training like your body needs it um yeah it's weird i mean like i think we we often like demonize social media and it can be like really intense but i always do give credit where credits to you i do think it's an amazing resource when you are starting out and you're like really intimidated and you're in the gym and you're just like i really want to try for the first time ever and do an upper body workout I have no idea what to do you know now we have so much out there

that we can like refer to which is amazing I don't think even TikTok workouts were a thing when I started the gym but I remember scrolling on Instagram and being like do you know Lisa Fit I used to be like she was like the OG one that I like followed and I remember like

Leone Adib and Lisa Fit would be the ones that I'd like look at and it would be like a swiping carous out of like exercises and I'd be like dumpel only workouts because I was too scared to go anywhere remotely near the weightlifting areas you know so um yeah there's lots of resources out there and it's like you know it's also like exciting to kind of learn it all as you go I think you know like enjoy the enjoy the process talk to me about the nightclub because this is so cool and kind of I feel like started really authentically and kind of out of a need more than like a kind of desire. Could you, yeah, explain a little bit about kind of its origin and like why you started it?

Yeah. Thank you, by the way. Yeah, and it's grown into something I never, ever could have imagined. But as I said, last September, I was working at law firm, normal nine to five, and I picked up running for health reasons. And obviously, I was living in London, commuting into the city. And when it got closer, you know, got to October, I just, you know, starting to be able to do my 5K rounds and I was really excited and then winter started to come and then the days got shorter and I became so frustrated with the darker days you know I'd wake up before work it would be dark I'd get home from work it'd be dark and then you're constantly just in darkness and even with street lighting in London it still doesn't feel safe and it kind of isn't you know

What happened was I would get so frustrated so I'd have to end up running on my weekends and then it would mess up my training plan and I'd speak to my friends and family members all of which had to change their running behaviours in the winter or stop running completely and I became so frustrated that I was like I'm going to start a wrong club and it really wasn't ever supposed to be what it has become I just really wanted to be able to be able to to run in the dark and I think that there was a demand for it because I just never realized for runners how bad the problem is and a lot of people will say why don't you just run on the treadmill but when I've been working in an office all day the last thing I want to do is run on a treadmill

so yeah it started off with 12 women in Battersea park at 7 p.m on Wednesday night and it was raining horrifically and it's now grown into a global community of women I It's just being crazy. And I'm so pleased that from my pain and frustration, that it's grown into a really positive way to attack the issue, you know? Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, there's definitely a need for it. I've got an Adidas survey here.

And more than half of women over 50% feel unsafe running while exercising outdoors after dark. And almost three quarters, 72% of women in the UK, change their outdoor activity routines during the winter months when it's darker earlier, which is like insane. So it's basically a shared experience. So no matter where you are, yeah, I'm definitely the same. I'm just like, it's weird actually.

I was thinking about how like when I was younger, I was just like blissfully unaware, but like now I'm like so aware. And perhaps things have got a little bit more dangerous. But like I'm just like, oh God. And it's like dark at 4.30. Like, come on. You know, we're not even talking. talking about like, oh, I want to go for like a 9pm run, which is like a bit sketch anyway.

We're talking like, you know, 4 p.m. and the sun's already down. It's like, yeah, insane. It's frustrating because we have to do also so much to then keep ourselves safe. And like I've seen some of your videos about, you know, putting on high viz and carrying loads of different safety precautions. And then even when you do go out, you still don't feel safe. You just feel you're constantly looking over your shoulder and you really can't relax and enjoy your. work out, you know? Yeah, I was going to ask you, like, what do you think that safety actually looks like in the context of nighttime running? Yeah, so I find this topic as frustrating to talk about, because it upsets me that we have to do so much, you know, and it gets tiring, it takes a fun out of it, but I guess when I, when it comes to running, I always think about, you know, changing my route weekly, running in well-lit areas, although sometimes it doesn't always feel that safe.

and you know wearing high-viz telling my friends where I am there's just a really long list of things that you can do to keep yourself safe but if I'm being honest I think that there's just not enough done publicly to protect us and it does always feel like the onus is on us to protect ourselves you know I think if you Google the problem and the issue you're always faced with two things so the first thing is newspaper articles about attacks against women. And the second thing is, you know, guidance about how we should be keeping ourselves safe. And there's just not enough public impact on educating people about how other people could be helping. Or, you know, if you see a woman in a dangerous situation, what you should be doing.

Yeah, definitely. I will say I do think that's why your run club is so special because I do think there's you know for all of those things we've listed that you could do I really don't think anything compares to kind of running with somebody you know like running with a friend with the buddy or doing a run club like that's the beauty of there being so many run clubs now like you could you could kind of bet that there'd probably be one at least one in your area no matter where you are in the world you know

so I think yeah I always think running with somebody is probably the safest thing to do Yes. And there's lots of even things like park runs and stuff that people who need evolved in. Yeah, definitely. In terms of like, I guess, how long ago was it that you worked a full-time job, 9 to 5? One year ago. Wow. Exactly. Amazing.

I handed my notice and around this. I finished basically my full-time job on the 20th of December last year. Amazing. How has that like transition been for you kind of going into the world and of full-time content creation. Crazy. Yeah, a lot of my friends are in traditional jobs. And so my parents. So, and I did my A-Levels in law, undergraduate masters,

did my legal qualifications. And so I've always wanted to be a lawyer. And I obviously had socials since around lockdown as like a little hobby. But for some reason, I just kept going and kept doing it. Yeah, since then it's kind of, I just, I don't know what's happened. Like, just this craziness has just happened. But I basically started the Rang Club and then realized I hadn't necessarily had the same passion for law. And I took the risk and decided to quit my job.

And it's been the best thing I've ever done ever. And you know what, like, the job is amazing, but I'm just so grateful to be around, you know, creatives like you and other people that you know gym shark and other athletes and things like that because it makes such a difference and I realized I went from this really strict environment with lots of red tape and it's very hierarchical to then corporate yes corporate galley and to then being around people who are doing so much positive things for the industry and people really love their job and they're just really happy to see you is it just makes such a difference. Yeah, those are those things where you do kind of, I don't know, I'm sure you're the same as me.

Like I do just always find myself pinching myself and thinking like, why me? Like what an opportunity and like, yeah, it's something that I'm sure none of us like take for granted because it is so special. Even just to be doing something you love, like without all of the incredible perks just to be able to do something. love where you're happy to kind of see people like you say you really can't like yeah underestimate the impact that has on like quality of life you know so how did you actually start posting because i actually said in the intro i don't know if you remember this but we met like years ago do you remember yeah uh yeah at fredi uh the shreddie which was my first like creator event i'd ever been to and i was just like oh my god this is amazing and yes and that was

like quite a few years ago but i think you've been been doing social media longer than I have, which is really cool that you just kind of kept it going and then it's like just exploded. So what happened there? When I picked up working out years before, just before lockdown happened. And I think it must have been in lockdown. I think that I started to create like a fitness account and it was just my friends and family. I was like really passionate about this, these pull-ups and stuff I'm doing in my kitchen and start. like that during lockdown that's like I need to post about it and I don't know what happened but for some reason I just kept posting I just had this urge to keep going and I'd always be like

if I missed one day I think oh I need to post like there's just always this urgency to do it yes it was very steady to start with and I think that shreddy event might have been my first event as well I seem to remember when I started working at the law firm I was probably about 30,000 and then when I 30,000 for I was on Instagram sorry and then when I left I think I was probably on around 300 or 400,000 but I just kept posting and I think that I just realized I was posting so much and then I decided to take it more seriously. So I was like, well, am I doing all this work? And I'm just, I think I just need to go for it.

And then this happened. I think you're someone, though, that, like, you've taken this whole thing, if we talk a little bit, like, strategy. Like, you're someone who's, like, really taken a niche, this thing that everyone talks about and you've really rolled with it. What was, like, the point in which you thought, huh, I think I'm onto something, because you've got this really, like,

it's almost like you've got this. formula now, which I'm sure you kind of know yourself, right? It's like, I know what works, I know what my audience wants, and I know what's going to like help with growth. What was that moment where you thought, okay, I think I've got something to work with here. Was that when you started the new gym or? I met this man in the gym and I call him Jim dad on social media. Oh, yeah. Yes, his actual name is Jim, believe it or not. Jim. Yes.

The first ever interaction I had with him was I was on this sort of gloat machine and I asked him for some help. And I did a video on it because I think it's really important to show that, you know, you can like ask people for help if, you know, you need it

and it's not as scary as you think. And people really liked it and they really liked him. And I think I realized that there's this need to show that people in the gym are actually really kind and caring, and even if they look really scary, and it kind of went from there,

and the more I incorporated him into my content, he went from just a random man in the gym to being gym dad, and now he's kind of everybody's dad. Yeah, I've seen the comments. Yes, and he sadly moved away now, and in the comments, everyone was like, oh, I feel like my dad's leaving and things like that. and that's where it kind of really started.

Yeah, it's really special. How do you, how have you kind of coped with like kind of, yeah, like this explosion of kind of engagement and of all of these like thoughts and opinions? Because it is a lot and I think people don't realize like the impact it can have on you as just like a real person behind the phone, you know? Yes, it's hard, isn't it? It's tough, yeah. Personally, I am really self-critical and I'm a bit of a people-pleaser.

I always noticed that my whole life that I really try to fit in and be really aware of how people perceive me and want to make sure that, I don't know, I just really felt like this need that my entire life to be, I don't know, I guess I just have been a people-pleaser and I'm just really aware of people's thoughts and feelings about me. so then when you're met with thousands of people online giving their opinion of you it's really weird and to start with I thought I can't do this like I can't mentally I'm not strong enough to be able to meet other people's opinions you know I go to the pub and I meet new people I think the next day what do they think of me like to that do they like me to like act a bit funny it was like I don't know

I'm so aware of it but for some reason getting so many opinions from other people online has actually really grown my confidence in a weird way. I sort of block it out and I just think I've got, I need to do my job like I just need to get on with it and it's made me care less about what people think of me and ignore it, which has actually been a bit of a positive.

Yeah, it's hard getting to that point and I think it does, I mean credit to you because I think it does take quite a bit of like kind of resilience to kind of be like mentally strong enough to be like, I'm not going to let these comments affect me. I always think about like how, do you know how like humans have a negative bias? So it's like we will always,

there'll be like 100 positive comments and one negative, but because our brain has evolved to have this negative bias, we see that negative comment and it becomes everything. And it's like you completely disregard all of the positive things and beautiful things and incredible interactions you've had with people because of this one comment, you know? So I think just kind of being aware of that and understanding that, like, you know, it's just like, okay, fine.

Do you read your comments and do you kind of, are you hyper aware of what people are saying about you? You know what, actually, if you do get hate on a post that goes viral, I would just like, I'm not going to read the comments. But when I saw you at one of our gym shop trips, and you actually taught me something really important. Did I? Yes, you did.

and I always think about it and you said when you first post that's your actual community when you get the comments those are people that you should really engage with reply to because the first people

that are going to see your content it's your community and then after that it just let it go it's gone wild you know it's gone into the TikTok algorithm the ether yeah

yes exactly and then whatever and since then I've really thought I've really like integrated it into my work so whenever I'll post it's like read the comments everyone's so nice and they're kind they really care and then off that okay well it's done you know I really yeah I really think about it like it kind of I feel like when posts go you know above a million I think that's when they go to like beyond your sort of community and I just feel like it's like

feeding to the wolves. Like I really feel like it's just like I've I've sent it out. It's yours. Let it be. You know, because it's it's like my stuff is and I don't know if yours is completely good. Yours is a little bit more men and women. But mine is like for for the girls, right? My content. And it's like it gets to a point where I'm like, how have I ended up on like 40 year old men's TikTok pages, you know? So it kind of gets to a point where you're like, okay, I've let you go. I've said all my peace to, you know, my community and you have to just accept it for what it is, you know.

Your videos often show other people, like, hyping you up. Is that something that you've kind of realized is something that you've maybe always been seeking, like that kind of, like, external validation? Like, is that something that you really thrive off? I think it's because it's showing that other people are looking out for you and really want you to train hard.

And I think there's something really powerful about, you know, going to failure, lifting really heavy, and the people around you supporting you. I always used to train alone and you don't always get that hype that you need unless you listen to a really good song. And now I don't train with headphones and I work out with whoever around me.

And it feels really powerful just to have that community behind you, to push you on and you actually get way more reps when you've got people screaming at you, believe or not, than yourself, because I will not push myself as hard as I should. And when you've got other people pushing you on and cheering you on, that's when you get the best reps. Absolutely. What's kind of like next for you? Like what do you have coming up and what does 2026 look like for you? Is there anything that you can share? There's something really big coming up for the nightclub But it will be really good and it just takes the wrong club to the next step

Because a lot of women around the world have been begging for us to make a visit And I just think that women's safety in the dark and struggling with that Is not just a UK problem and everybody around the world is dealing with it So we've got something really special coming and otherwise just grinding. Something with this job, and I'm sure that you probably resonate with is you can never look too far ahead.

You have to be really, really present, but you're almost forced to be present because there's so much going on. And social media is always changing. So I'm kind of as present as I can be because there's so much work to be done now. I'm sure I know you're a busy lady all the time. You've got so much projects going on

that you feel the same. Yeah, I'm excited to really throw myself in. I think maybe I underestimated how much a house renovation would take it out of me this year. So, you know, 2025 was the year of the house renovation, but we're back on it. 26. I'm ready for it. What's one actionable tip that someone can take this week to feel more confident at the gym? What's some homework you can give someone?

That's a really good point. I would say asking someone for a spot. I do it all the time no matter how many times I do it I still get a little bit in nervous but it does get better but I think that get some dumbbells

you know push yourself and ask somebody for a little bit of help because not only because it's good for your confidence building but for example the other day I was doing 17 kg dumbbell

incline never done it before and I tried got a couple reps couldn't get it up and then somebody came him to help me and he helped me get eight reps and it's not only good for my confidence but it's really good for pushing yourself in the gym and you know gaining muscle and things like that so that would be my homework yeah i love that and i think that's a really good one i think even just like for confidence building like that kind of it it breaks that wall of like you versus the gym and it means that you

have this like yeah this this this way to make this conversation like so often you're it's like so hard to like start speaking with someone and then as soon as you start talking to them you guys are like rambling away by the end of the session you're like best friends and then every time you see each other you will wave and say hi to each other but it's just that little first part that's just like really you know scary to do so I think that's really good homework yeah I love yeah I agree the first time I ever did it my legs were shaking I was literally like oh my my hands are so clammy and now although I can be slightly nervous sometimes now it's really really nice and I get to meet those of nice people in the gym so it's worth it. Yeah yeah yeah and the more

you kind of make friends and push yourself out there the easier like and more welcoming that environment becomes for you and then by the end you just feel like you're like hi guys welcome like nice to be here again just to finish we've got a little segment called cool down quick fire and it's just rapid quick fire questions if you want to expand your most welcome to So first one is morning or evening workout. Evening, 100%. In the morning, there's no way. No more.

Today, there's no way. No, no, no. It's rough. Favorite rest day activity? Long walk with a dog in the mud, winter. Or, actually, I'm going to say this. Little known facts about Lily Lifts, I'm sure none of her community, no. Would be this.

I could not believe this. Tell everyone what you do. Horse riding. No, it is. But like seriously? Yeah. Like she competes guys. Yes, British eventing, competing.

And I, that is, if you're wondering, why I actually probably don't go to the gym in the mornings because I'm shoveling poo. And I'm in the mud, dirty, mucking out the whole thing. Yep. That is, I, yeah, I can't believe that. addition to like share some more of the horses i would love that content um so solo or group session i think i know this one group obviously obviously guilty pleasure workout song oh

okay hear me out you know that labor song that feminist labor song and it's like listen google it when you i've done it in some of my running videos and it's like this feminist song about women and oh that rings about because get that on hit a peevee instantly also when you run great song for that as well if you've going through the trenches amazing this one i knew it was this one yeah wow okay i might i might meet my friend for the runner after this and say Alex we're lock in okay we're going to listen to the labours women's song see me sprinting along um dream training partner i love to train with my boyfriend because he always hyped me up but I think there's nothing better.

But, sorry Fenner. There's nothing better than training with a girly pop that's like good vibes, pushes you on. Because like, I don't know, just the atmosphere around you is so nice. You can relay. I think that's a dream. One thing that's always in your gym bag. Garden gloves.

Yeah. I saw. Yeah. Valid. Yeah. You know what, actually, I saw a guy years ago doing it, and I was like, what the hell are you doing? But, I mean, it does work. It works.

But mainly because I've got really, like, soft hands, and they get really sweaty. So pull-ups, anything, they just, grip is amazing. I respect it. Current go-to snack or hyperfixation meal. Skir bowl. Really funny that I've never heard anyone call it that. When you said that earlier, I was like, what? What? A scourable.

Don't people call it like a skier? Skear. You say skir, I say skier, whatever. Yes, and I occasionally, unfortunately, have it a couple times a day. Wow, okay. Yes, but it's probably not the best to have it more than once because I put loads of dates in it, and so my sugar level was just through the roof. Through the roof.

What do you, yes, what do you normally have? So you'll have like the skier, yogurt and then... Yes. So, yogurt. and we can't use phage, like whatever, dates, salted dark chocolate, lint, blackberries, pomegranate seeds and honey, just, honestly, I would like it right now. And whenever I finish the bowl, I think, God, I wish there was more left. Yeah, that does sound incredible.

But also, yeah, crazy levels of sugar. And I respect that, and I love that for you. I mean, is that a good, a good pre-workout meal? Is that? I mean it's like sugars but not so many although dates I don't know I don't probably not

maybe it's one of those things it's just for the love of it you know yes simple pleasures when do you feel your strongest um after my period valid valid although do you know what I found out the other day is that actually your

strongest I'm sure they said your strongest um or like the best time to kind of like train and like push PRs and like set yeah set PRs is on the first day of your period so you feel like death but it's because your um physiology and your like hormone profile is most similar to a male then it doesn't know that it makes sense because i always thought that i would be weaker on the week of my period but as i've gotten older i've realized that the week before i just cannot there's nothing i can do then I really find that my strength suffers.

And obviously when you're on your period, you get period pains and stuff. But I do find that once I hit my period, it's a lot better. So that does make sense. Yeah, I know. I've been exactly the same. I always used to be like, oh, my period, I'm out for the count. But actually now, as I'm getting like further into my 20s, for some reason, it's like the week before I'm just like, oh, this is rough. And then you can always like tell.

It's like a spiny sense. Yes, exactly. What's a mantra you live by? That's a really good question. And I think it's probably to not care so much about what people think. I obviously said earlier that I always used to really fixate on how other people would perceive me. And I was like, I've got an older and you know, you work for yourself and you just think, right, that's it. Like, I just need to do my job.

I'm going to get on with it. I don't care what everyone else thinks. I just need to do it. And I think it's really helped just in terms not just even work or social media, but just sort of. like social life. And it's probably helped my confidence quite a bit. Yeah. Oh, amazing. And final

question is, where can people find you if they don't already follow you? I am Dilliffts on Instagram and TikTok. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for this gorgeous episode. I knew it was going to be helpful and insightful. That's what I told the girls. And I think there was lots I even took from the episode.

So thank you so much for joining us. no thank you i'm so pleased to be on here thank you oh no honestly i'm so grateful and it was lovely to chat to you as well that is it everyone i hope you enjoyed that episode as much as i did don't forget to give us a follow on jim girls locker room on all socials and i think that's pretty much everything have a lovely rest of your week and i will see you in the next one bye